‘Police deployed 24 undercover officers to infiltrate a small leftwing political party over a 37-year period, the Guardian can reveal. The police spies infiltrated the Socialist Workers party (SWP) almost continuously between 1970 and 2007, often with more than one undercover officer embedded within the party.’

‘The Crown Prosecution Service has dropped all criminal charges against Sir Norman Bettison relating to his conduct as a South Yorkshire police chief inspector in the force’s response to the 1989 Hillsborough disaster.’

‘An investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct into the incident in east London in July 2017 in which Rashan Charles died has found that the performance of the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) officer who restrained Mr Charles fell short of expected standards.’

‘The mining company at the centre of a row over professional privilege has called for an independent inquiry into the Serious Fraud Office (SFO), accusing the office of failing to investigate a whistleblower’s letter.’

‘The police watchdog has directed the Met Police to begin gross misconduct hearings against five officers over the custody death of a mentally ill man. Sean Rigg, who had schizophrenia, died from cardiac arrest at Brixton police station in August 2008 after being restrained by officers. The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said officers should face hearings over their actions.’

‘Does a person who is sued in civil litigation for the alleged misconduct of her employees (or others for whom she is vicariously liable) owe a duty of care to avoid causing those employees or “quasi-employees” financial loss arising from the conduct of the person’s defence?.’

‘Where an officer is dismissed at a fast-track hearing, based upon a conviction which is then subsequently overturned, a Police Appeals Tribunal (“PAT”) will likely allow the misconduct appeal. In such circumstances, there has been no finding on the merits in misconduct proceedings to prevent the officer from facing a subsequent standard-track hearing. So said the Court of Appeal in CC Nottinghamshire v R (Gray) [2018] EWCA Civ 34.’

‘A prison officer who lost his freedom, home and livelihood after being jailed for exposing dangerous and life-threatening failures and cutbacks in the British prison system has spoken out over the “chilling effect” that his case has had on press freedoms in the UK.’

‘The High Court has refused an application to strike out a claim in negligence and misfeasance in public office taken by someone born as a result of a liaison between an activist in the animal liberation movement and a man who subsequently turned out to be an undercover police officer.’

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